SEALs` Chicom Type 56

[Snow]

http://www.specialoperations.com/Navy/SEALs/Weapons.htm claims that SEALs use Chicom Type 56(AK-47) assault rifle. Is this just to familiarize for foreign weapons or for certain operational scenario?

For me its hard to understand why someone wants to use Chicom Type 56 even for training, because it´s accuracy is really lousy.

[Mac679]

it's for both, VC/NVA weapons like AK's, SKS's, RPK's and RPD's were used in Vietnam by SOG teams for deniability as well as causing the enemy to hesitate upon contact thinking they may have engaged in friendly fire.

Mac

[realpolypro]

Then there's the "Timex" factor:-) We still have them on our books. They're servicible, and clean, but WELL USED! They just keep going.
Polypro
RLTW!

[maniac]

I have shot plenty of rifles and although the Chinese AKs are not as accurate as the M16A2, within 250 meters I'll hit "black" every time. BTW, history has proven that most combat occurs within 300 meters, and you will be lucky to see farther than 50 meters in dense forest or jungle.

[gumby]

while being the owner of one i would not care to get caught in combat, much less in the woods with one [last choice]

[JY]

Gotta put my 2 cents in this one, the AK47/AKM/AK74 are great combat weapons. They are not target rifles, but you can throw them around, toss them in the mud, let 'em rust, use 'em for camp stools (NVA would sit on them with the muzzle down and the magazine as a mono leg camp stool)and they would continue to operate. The most uneducated peasant could operate it, field strip it and maintain it, and kill you with it. It will not shoot moa, but it shoots minute of soldier. It's weapon that's written more history than anyother made, I have carried it in various versions and have never felt in need of another weapon.

These durn AK's will still be soldiering on after all of us are long gone, and doing it well. take care...Jim

[maniac]

Okay Grumby, if the AK-47 is your last choice, what are your first 3 choices? While I respect your opinion, I'm still curious.

[Snow]

My country(Finland) uses Finnish Sako assault rifles(AK-action) in peacetime. In the mob, FDF`s planned strengh is over 500 000 men and it`s pretty expensive to aquire high quality rifle for every soldier, so FDF bought in 1990`s a big lot of Type 56, which allowed them to retire last Mosin-Nagants from wartime scenarios.
There were brief experimental trials to use Type 56 for conscript training but it was pointless because type 56 just wasn`t accurate enough for basic training.
In other hand: when I was in basic training, my first 3 zeroing shots with Sako assault rifle were in 1 MOA. I like that my rifle is more accurate than I...

The AK-action is superb, it`s reliable and simple, but it has to be made within western accuracy and quality standards.
The best AK-type weapon ever? It`s here:
http://guns.connect.fi/gow/M95.html
http://practical.hypermart.net/ase.html

[trident86]

A ChiCom weapon might be nice to carry on a mission where you may not want to make your nationality or unit blatantly obvious.

[Snake]

Not to mention it makes you look hard as hell to run around with AK's.
I'm being nasty here, but you should see the number of photo's I have from my buddies in the 10th Mountain, posing like idiots with confiscated AKM's, in Kosovo....

Snake
25th ID(L)

Rule #1: Always know where you are.
Rule #2: Always look cool.
Rule #3: If you dont know where you are,
at least try to look cool.

[Yossi]

Also, the AK's are much better then the M16's family in waterborne envoirment. This is why the Israeli naval unit S'13 uses only the AK in diving oriented missions. While using M4/CAR15 in all other (ground) ops.